Recap

Widnes Vikings suffered defeat at home to Batley in Round 15 of the Betfred Championship despite a couple of tries from Deon Cross and one from Danny Craven.

Aiden Roden came straight in from the start after joining on loan from Wigan Warriors earlier this week, with Jake Spedding also starting after recovering from a bicep injury.

The visitors forged ahead after 11 minutes when Kieran Buchanan stepped through a couple of holes in the Widnes line to dive under the posts despite early pressure from the Vikings.

Widnes pulled one back on 24 minutes, when Joe Lyons put a kick up high which was spilled by two Batley players going for the same ball and Deon Cross capitalised to take it off both of them and dive over the line. Jack Owens was back on kicking duty for Widnes and duly converted to level the scores.

The Vikings forged ahead with eight minutes until the break, after Batley were penalised for a ball steal on Jayden Hatton deep inside the home half and Widnes responded with a strong attacking set culminating in Danny Craven dancing through the line and putting it down for our second try of the game. Owens hit the post with the conversion meaning the hosts went into the break with a 10-6 lead.

Widnes stretched their lead early in the second half as an intense period of home pressure paid off when Jake Spedding broke free out wide before passing inside for Deon Cross to gratefully put down.

Batley fought back though, and reduced the deficit to four points when Elliot Hall found space to go under fifteen minutes into the second period.

The visitors forged ahead six minutes later, Alistair Leak tiptoeing through to put it down under the posts.

Widnes were subject to further pressure from the visitors and held them up several times over the line before the referee adjudged a try to have been scored by Dane Manning for Batley to extend their lead to 16-24.

That pressure continued as Elliot Hall added another try for the Bulldogs with ten minutes to go.

Batley pulled away further as the game went on, Levi Edwards adding another from out wide to end the contest at 16-34.

Widnes Vikings: Jack Owens, Deon Cross, Jake Spedding, Ste Tyrer, Jayden Hatton, Danny Craven, Joe Lyons, Kenny Baker, Aiden Roden, Shane Grady, Josh Wilde, Adam Lawton, Matty Smith.

Interchanges: Paul Clough, Owen Farnworth, Lewis Hulme, Will Tilleke.

Tries: Deon Cross (2), Danny Craven  Goals: Jack Owens (2/3)

Batley Bulldogs: Elliot Hall, Jonathon Campbell, Lucas Walshaw, Levi Edwards, Dale Morton, Benjamin White, Tom Gilmore, Jack Blagbrough, Ben Kaye, Toby Everett, Kieran Buchanan, Dane Manning, Nyle Flynn.

Interchanges: George Senior, Alistair Leak, Michael Ward, James Brown.

Tries:  Kieran Buchanan, Elliot Hall (2), Alistair Leak, Dane Manning, Levi Edwards Goals: Tom Gilmore (5/6)